Lamb Of God

Originally known by the less-than-subtle moniker Burn the Priest, Richmond, Virginia-based Lamb of God decided to change their name shortly after the release of a self-titled debut in 1998. Featuring vocalist Randy Blythe, guitarists Mark Morton and Will Adler, bassist John Campbell, and drummer Chris Adler, the newly rechristened Lamb of God were launched in the year 2000 with their acclaimed New American Gospel album. The group then embarked on a lengthy touring spree, spending much of the next two years preaching their "pure American death metal" at major heavy metal festivals and small clubs alike.

Work on a follow-up effort with producer and Strapping Young Lad mastermind Devin Townsend took place in between many road jaunts, so that Lamb of God's sophomore LP, As the Palaces Burn, was released in summer 2003. Ashes of the Wake quickly followed it in 2004. Produced by Machine, it featured the most fully realized material of the band's career. Ashes was both a chart and critical hit and set up a year's worth of successful touring for Lamb of God. (Epic also reissued Burn the Priest, the 1998 debut from the original band.) The Killadelphia DVD appeared in 2005, documenting a particularly fierce stretch of shows in Philly, and the same program's audio edition dropped toward the end of the same year. Sacrament was released in 2006, followed by Wrath in 2009.

A massive three-disc retrospective entitled Hourglass: The Anthology was issued by Epic in 2010, covering their independent releases as well as their major-label years, and including a third disc of rarities. The set was released in two configurations: it was available for purchase in either three single-disc volumes or as a full box set. The band spent 2010 touring before eventually settling down in 2011 to record new material with producer Josh Wilbur. The result was their chart-topping seventh album, 2012's Resolution. That same year, Blythe was arrested in Czechoslovakia for charges stemming from an incident at a 2010 show in Prague that saw a young fan climb on-stage and hit his head after being pushed by the lead singer. The 19-year-old died of complications from the injury, and Blythe spent over a month in jail before being found not criminally liable for the incident and released on bail. Blythe would go to pen a memoir, with an emphasis on his arrest, trial, and acquittal, called Dark Days. In 2015, after a period of inactivity that resulted from the psychological and financial woes that accrued during the period of Blythe's incarceration, the band issued its long-awaited eighth studio long-player, VII: Sturm und Drang. The following year saw the band issue a new EP, Duke, which was comprised of three live cuts and two new studio tracks. The title cut was inspired by Lamb of God superfan Wayne Ford, who had lost his five-year battle with leukemia. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia